Attachment for a shoe nailing machine



p 9 S. F. GRAFF Y 3,464,615

AT'l'ACHMl-ZNT FOR A SHOE NAILINU MACHINE Filed Sept, 12, 1967 STANL E) F GRAFF A T TORNE Y5 3,464,615 Patented Sept. 2, 1969 3,464,615 ATTACHMENT FOR A SHOE NAILING MAE Stanley F. Graft, 5252 Aldrich Ave. N-, Minneapolis, Minn. 55430 Filed Sept. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 667,250 Int. Cl. A43d 69/00; 1325c 7/00 US. Cl. 227154 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention Heretofore in the repairing of shoe heels, particularly of leather heels of mens shoes, the shoe to be repaired is mounted in an inverted position on a metal last or on the horn of a nailing machine, the horn having a generally fiat top surface which engages the inner top surface of the heel portion of the inverted shoe directly in the line of nails driven by the nailing mechanism. Such supporting means have the disadvantage of leaving the marginal edges of the heel unsupported during the nailing thereof, so that nails must be applied to the heel with a substantial spacing of the nails inwardly of the marginal edges of the heel. Such inward spacing of the nails leaves the heel susceptible to separation of the layers of heel material at the marginal edge of the heel during subsequent wear of the repaired shoe.

Summary of the invention An important object of this invention is the provision of an attachment for shoe heel nailing machines which will support the heel portion of a shoe in such manner that nails may be effectively driven into the heel closely adjacent the marginal edge of the heel and anchored therein without causing separation of the superposed layers of leather or other material which form the heel. T this end, I provide a base member having a lower end for mounting on the horn supporting shank of a nailing machine, and horn means on the upper end of the base member and comprising a pair of horn elements, one of which is relatively straight and has a generally flat upper end for engagement with the top surface of the interior of an inverted shoe at the heel portion and adjacent the counter thereof, the other horn element being generally C-shaped and having a generally fiat upper end for operative engagement with the top surface of the heel seat, or of the welt of a welted shoe, exterior of the upper of the shoe. The horn means is adjustable in directions transversely of the axis of a nail driven into the shoe heel, the upper end of the generally C-shaped horn element engaging the exterior surface of the shoe upper to provide a gage for positioning the marginal edge of the heel relative to the axis or path of travel of a nail being driven by the nail driving mechanism of the machine, whereby uniformly spaced rows of nails may be applied to a shoe heel.

Description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a shoe nailing machine, showing the attachment of this invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary axial section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in top plan of the attachment of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in bottom plan of the heel portion of a shoe showing the disposition of nails driven by the nailing machine with the attachment of this invention applied to the machine; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded view in perspective of the attachment of this invention.

Detailed description Referring particularly to FIG. 1, a conventional shoe nailing machine is shown fragmentarily as comprising a base structure 1, a column 2 extending upwardly from the base structure 1, a nail driving head 3- supported by the column 2 in overlying relationship to a table 4 mounted on the base 1, a generally cone shaped guiding nose 5 on the nailing head 3, and a horn supporting member 6 mounted on the talble 4 and having a flange 7 and a horn supporting shank 8 at its upper end in axial alignment with the guiding nose 5. The nailing machine further includes a guide rod 9 and an attachment 10 mounted on the column 2. Briefly, the nailing machine may be-any one of several well known machines of the general type disclosed in the Wright et a1. Patent 3,112,05 6. The nailing machine, in and of itself, does not comprise instant invention. Hence, in the interest of brevity, further showing and description thereof is omitted. It should suflice to state that the supporting member 6 and the shank 8 are utilized to support a last or horn upon which an inverted shoe is mounted for nailng of soles and heels in shoe repair.

The attachment of this inventioin is primarily intended for use in the repairing of leather heels of mens shoes or low fiat leather heels of womens shoes. A mans shoe, particularly the heel portion thereof is shown fragmentarily in the drawings as comprising a heel 11 made up of several layers of leather or the like, a heel seat layer 12, an inner sole 13 and the counter portion 14 of the shoe upper. The shoe shown is provided with a welt 15, although the attachment of this invention is equally adapted for use in repairing nonwelted shoes.

My attachment comprises a generally vertically disposed shaft or base member 16 having an axial opening 17 for reception of the shank 8, whereby the base member 16 may be mounted on the supporting member 6, see particularly FIG. 2. At its upper end, the base member 16 is formed to provide an upwardly opening transverse dovetail groove 18 and a keyhole slot 19 extending parallel to the dovetail groove 18 and opening axially thereinto. The base member 16 is further drilled to provide a transverse opening 20 that extends across the keyhole slot 19, the opening 20 at one side of the slot 19 being screw threaded to receive a headed clamping screw 21 for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent. Shoe supporting horn means includes a relatively straight horn element 22 that is adapted to be received within a shoe, and a generally C-shaped horn element 23 that is adapted to support the marginal edge portion of the shoe outwardly of the upper 14 thereof. The horn element 23 includes a generally horizontal bottom portion 24, an intermediate portion 25 and a top portion 26 having a generally fiat top surface 27 for engagement with the heel seat 12 or welt 15 of the shoe. The bottom portion 24 is dovetailed for slidable reception in the dovetail groove 18 of the base member 16. As shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and 5, the bottom portion 24 is provided with a series of laterally spaced parallel notches 28 that are selectively alignable with a pair of aligned notches 29 in the upper end of the base member 16, the clamping screw 21 being manipulated to permit sliding movement of the horn element 23 in the dovetail groove 18, and to releasably lock the horn element 23 in desired set positions wherein a given one of the notches 28 is aligned with the notches 29. As shown particularly in FIGS. 2 and 5, the free end of the top portion 26 of the horn element 23 is beveled, as at 30', to permit maximum engagement of the surface 27 with the overlying welt 15 or heel seat 12 of the shoe.

The horn element 22 comprises upper and lower horn sections 31 and 32 respectively, the section 31 having a generally flat upper end 33 for engagement with the inner sole 13 of the shoe. The horn section 32 is formed near its lower end to provide a circumferentially extended radial flange 34, the lower end portion 35 of the section 32 below the flange 34 being secured in an opening 36 in the bottom portion 24 of the horn element 23. Upwardly of the flange 34, the section 32 is screw threaded to be threadedly received in an axial opening 32' in the upper section 22, whereby the horn element 22 is vertically adjustable relative to the horn element 23. By anchoring the lower horn section 32 in the bottom portion 24, the horn element 22 is disposed in predetermined laterally spaced apart relationship with the top portion 26 of the horn element 23, as indicated by the dimension A in FIG. 3. Vertical adjustment of the horn section 31 relative to the horn element 23 compensates for differences in level between the insole 13 and welt 15 or heel seat 12, so that the shoe is supported substantially on a level when the heel 11 is being nailed.

In repairing the heel 11 of the shoe, the necessary layers of leather or heel material are applied and anchored in place with two or three nails, as indicated at 37 in FIG. 4. This may be done manually with the use of a hammer and metal last, or the same may be accomplished in the machine with a conventional horn, not shown,

mounted on the supporting member 6. After the heel has been anchored with the nails 37, the horn means of this invention is mounted on the machine as shown, the horn element 22 being adjusted to support the shoe in a level position, and the horn means laterally adjusted on the base member 16 so that one of the notches 28' on the bottom portion 24 of the horn element 23 is aligned with the notches 29 on the base member 16 (the notch 28 closest to the horn element 22). In this position of the horn elements 22 and 23 on the base member 16, operation of the nailing machine will drive a row of nails into the heel 11, this row being indiacted at 38 in FIG. 4. The horn elements 22 and 23 are then shifted on the base member 16 so that the central notch 28 is aligned with the notches 29, and a second row 39 of nails is driven into the heel 11. Subsequent shifting of the horn elements 22 and 23 on the base member 16 so that the notch 28 most remote from the horn element 22 is aligned with the notches 29 will position the shoe so that the machine will drive a third row 40 of nails into the heel 11, the row 40 being close to the marginal edge of the heel, as shown in FIG. 4. With reference to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the beveled end of the top portion 26 engages the welt 15 of the shoe and operates as guide when shifting the shoe on the horn means to maintain the rows 38, 39 and 40 of nails uniformly spaced from the marginal edge of the heel. In the absence of a Welt, the beveled end 30 will engage the outer surface of the shoe upper or counter 14 for the same purpose.

It will be appreciated that, when the horn elements 22 and 23 are shifted to their various above described positions on the base member 16, the clamping screw 21 is manipulated to lock the horn elements in place for nailing, and to release the horn elements for shifting between the nailing of the separate rows. The lateral spacing of the horn elements 22 and 23 is such that, when the row of nails 38 is being driven, the horn element 22 is disposed substantially on the axis of each nail being driven. When the row of nails 40 is being driven into the heel 11, the top surface 27 of the horn element 23 underlies the nails as they are driven. During the driving of the intermediate row of nails 29, the axis of the nails being driven is disposed intermediate the beveled end 30 and the horn element 22, the spacing of the beveled end 30 and the horn element 22 being sufficiently close to more than adequately support the portion of the heel receiving the nails of the row 39 thereof.

While I have shown and described a commercial embodiment of my novel attachment, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment for a shoe nailing machine, said attachment comprising:

(a) a base member having a lower end for mounting on the horn supporting shank of a shoe nailing machine below the nail driving mechanism of the machine and generally on the axis of nails driven by said driving mechanism, and an upper end;

(b) shoe supporting born means on said upper end of the base member and comprising a pair of connected horn elements having laterally spaced upper end portions;

(c) one of said horn elements having a generally flat upper end surface for engagement with the inner bottom surface of an inverted shoe adjacent the counter of said shoe;

((1) the other of said horn elements having an upper end surface for operative engagement with the top surface of a heel seat portion of said inverted shoe exterior of the upper of the shoe, whereby to support said heel seat portion adjacent its marginal edge during nailing of a heel, said other of the horn elements engaging the shoe upper adjacent the heel seat portion to position the marginal edge of the heel a predetermined distance from the axis of a nail driven by the driving head.

2. The attachment defined in claim 1, in which one of said horn elements comprises a pair of cooperating upper and lower sections, the upper one of said sections being vertically adjustable relative to the lower one of said sections and to the other of said horn elements.

3. The attachment defined in claim 1 in which said one of the horn elements is substantially straight and vertically disposed, the other of said horn elements being of generally C-shape and having a generally horizontal bottom portion engaging the upper end of said base member, a heel seat engaging top portion upwardly spaced from said bottom portion, and a laterally displaced intermediate portion connecting said top and bottom portions.

4. The attachment defined in claim 3, in which said one of the horn elements is secured to said generally horizontal bottom portion for vertical adjustment of the upper end of said one of the horn elements relative to said other of the horn elements.

-5. The attachment defined in claim 4, in which said one of the horn elements comprises a pair of upper and lower sections, said lower section including a threaded stud, said upper section having a screw threaded axial member and generally horizontal bottom portion de- 0 fining a dovetail groove slidably receiving said tenon, and means for releasably clamping said tenon in said groove, whereby said horn means is adjustably movable in opposite directions transversely of the axis of a nail driven by the driving head.

7. The attachment defined in claim 6, in which said horizontal bottom portion comprises said dovetail tenon, the upper end of said base defining said dovetail grove,

parallel to said groove and a transverse opening axially spaced from said groove and across said slot, one end portion of said opening being threaded, said means for clamping said tenon in said groove comprising a clamping screw extending through said opening and screw threaded in the threaded portion thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,446,465 2/1923 Hubbard 227-155 XR 1,716,592 6/ 1929 Mackenzie 227155 2,164,468 7/1939 Neuman 227154 XR said base further having an axial slot opening into and 15 GRANVILLE Y, CUSTER, JR., Primary Examiner 

